Former England defender Rio Ferdinand believes if Manchester United don't qualify for Europe, their season has been a failure.

The West Ham academy graduate played over 300 times for the Old Trafford club, winning six Premier League titles, three League Cups and the Champions League.

The player-turned-pundit believes the team he captained have to achieve Champions League football and would consider taking entry to Europe's premier competition over winning a domestic trophy.

Ferdinand told the Daily Telegraph: "If they don't qualify for the Champions League, it's not a successful season. That's quite fair to say.

"If they get their hands on the FA Cup, that's a great achievement but, in my time, if you'd won a trophy you'd done well but you've got to get into the Champions League as well. And I think that's the case even more so today.

"[Reaching] the Champions League maybe outweighs winning sometimes, even the FA Cup, in terms of the commercial options of a football club. Finishing in the Champions League places is the only place Manchester United should be finishing. That's got to be the minimum demand at that football club. That's what it was when I was there."

The failure to beat West Ham on Tuesday night has all but resigned Manchester United to a Europa League spot and has increased pressure on manager Louis Van Gaal.

The Dutchman looked to be hanging on by a thread at Old Trafford earlier in the season with Jose Mourinho waiting in the wings, but an up-turn in the club's fortunes had stabilised his position.

Discussing Van Gaal's future, Ferdinand said: "I'm not the man to answer that question. I'm not the CEO.

"I think Ed Woodward [executive vice-chairman] and his team of people around him will be the people that ultimately decide that. What was his remit when he went there? When that is established, you can say whether it's a good or bad season."